Energy: Hydrogen Solutions

Sep 12, 2008 Features / Columnists

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Peter R. Ramsaroop, MBA

INTRODUCTION:
As we argue over whether to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) or not, the focus should shift rapidly to internal changes that we need to institute in order to make the lives of our citizens better.  One of the hindrances to foreign direct investments is the cost for energy in Guyana.
(Please note to use the Search Engine on the Website of this newspaper for previous columns on Energy).  These are follow-up columns that continue the discussions on various energy solutions.
Projects such as the Hydro Power Plant and Ethanol projects are yet to get off the ground.  Years have gone by since these should have. We concentrate on things like Carifesta, whether to sign the EPA or small seed farming instead of focusing on the one thing that must change in our nation in order for all of us to have a chance to prosper.
Another aspect of energy we have lobbied hard for is tariff-free concessions on all Hybrid or Fuel Efficient Model Cars or products.  Most of these cars now get 40-60MPG.  Those are the cars we need in Guyana along with the light rail system we have proposed.  Solutions also exist for the current vehicles we have to improve efficiency and the environment. Such products will bring down our rising transportation cost and ultimately put more money back in our pockets.
USE OF HYDROGEN GROWS TO FUEL VEHICLES:
One of Vision Guyana’s overseas advisors, Mr. Don Lightfoot, is also a director of a company called BlueWave Hybrid Systems, a company that is set to revolutionize the industry with a product that can be installed in most model vehicles.  Mr. Lightfoot emphasized that they are using as a fuel source and an energy carrier, hydrogen…the most abundant element in the universe…to move it from science fiction and basic research to the world’s highways.
Hydrogen is the most versatile of renewable energy resources — a universal fuel that can be burned in an engine or used in a fuel cell to power vehicles, buildings and homes, utility power plants and anything else that uses electrical energy. When burned in an engine, hydrogen is about 30 percent more efficient than gasoline. Hydrogen engines do not emit carbon dioxide, and the only byproduct of fuel cells is clean water.
In a fuel cell, hydrogen is an energy carrier rather than a fuel. An energy carrier is a substance or system that moves energy in usable form from one place to another. Electricity, the best-known energy carrier, moves the energy stored in coal, uranium and other sources from power plants to homes and businesses.
Hydrogen burns more rapidly than hydrocarbon fuels because it is smaller and enters combustion reactions at a higher velocity, has lower activation energy and incurs more molecular collisions than heavier molecules, according to Mr. Lightfoot.
He said that BluWave Hybrid has launched its new fuel-saving Hydrogen-on-Demand products to the environmentally conscious consumer throughout America and is taking this energy saving product to all corners of the globe, including the Caribbean via an online campaign. The website, BluWaveHybrid.com, also provides an interactive social community consisting of forums, message boards, podcasts and blogs geared specifically to the community of Hydrogen activists and enthusiasts from around the globe that are involved in advancing technology to decrease global oil consumption and lower emissions.
The eco-friendly BluWave Hybrid Systems transforms cars and trucks into a BluWave Hybrid, resulting in improved fuel efficiency, increased engine horsepower and torque, while lowering emissions. There are three models of the BluWave Hybrid Hydrogen-on-Demand Systems available dependent on the vehicle’s engine size…and costs between US$399-$599 which can be easily installed yourself, or by a trained technician for about US$100. The system pays for itself through fuel cost savings, in most cases, in less than a year.
Hydrogen gas is plentiful on Earth, but it is found only in compound form with other elements — two hydrogen atoms combined with one oxygen atom is water (H20), and hydrogen combined with carbon forms compounds (hydrocarbons) like methane, coal and petroleum. Scientists around the world are addressing this and other technology barriers.
CONCLUSION:
An effective energy program for all Guyanese must ensure the rational and efficient use of imported petroleum-based energy sources, while encouraging, where economically feasible and environmentally acceptable, increased utilization of new and renewable sources of energy. And there must be tariff and tax concessions for all Hybrid or Fuel Efficient Model Cars or products such as the BluWave Hybrid Systems I described, which addresses our energy and environment needs today…not years from now…but today.

Contact: peter.ramsaroop@gmail.com

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